From One to All
by Camrynrose14
Summary: Ed's gotten himself in a sticky situation. He just can't remember how. That and having to spend some quality time with Mustang can make anyone panic. On top of all of that, where is his brother? Can Ed survive his torture without the support of Al? Will he be able to last without the constant of his little brother? Some ParentalRoy!Ed and rated for language and some violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! This isn't my first fanfiction, but it's my first FMA fanfic. So bear with me. Also, I'm not sure I want to continue this. If I get enough reviews and a beta I would love to try for it, but the updates wouldn't be too close together. I'm dealing with lots of tournaments and homework so I won't have a lot of time. Still, if you guys would like me to, I'd definitely give it a shot! So review and tell me what you guys think!**

**Disclaimer: I don't FMA but I would really love to!**

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Fire. It was around him, on him, _in_ him. It burned inside him, from his head to his feet-even his automail seemed as if it would melt from the searing heat that was coming from inside the wires and schematics of the metal limbs. It was getting pretty hard to breathe, too. Each shaky breath brought in mouthfuls of burning smoke into his protesting lungs.

He dreamed he was standing outside his old house. It was exactly as he remembered it. Edward ran his flesh hand over the front door, feeling the smooth green beneath his slender fingers, and hesitantly moved them towards the doorknob. Dread filled him, but he still managed to open it. He took one step inside and stopped, unable to make himself go farther.

The inside was the same as it was when he was ten years old and ready to bring his mother back. He had just gotten home from training and he and Al had made the wise decision to transmute their mother. Ed didn't let the thought go any farther. He didn't want to think about his mistake, no matter how selfish that idea sounded. He just couldn't deal with it right now.

He felt like he was going to be sick. Looking at the old farm house, he was ready to leave. He didn't want to reminisce. He wanted to wake up and find himself back at the dorms. He wanted to be free of his burden. Guiltily, he turned those thoughts away, too. He turned to leave.

And he found himself in a predicament. The door was shut. He wiggled the knob and found it locked. A torch was thrown into the house, shattering the window, and suddenly everything was on fire. His house was being burned down, but this time, he was inside of it. So he sat back and let it happen. He didn't know what was happening, but suddenly, he was too tired to care. He just wanted to sleep.

So that's what happened. He fell asleep in his burning house. His lungs filled up with smoke and the fire licked at his skin, but he let it all happen. He just couldn't muster up the strength to save himself. Wasn't that equivalent exchange? His mistake, his burden, his consequences? The only regret he had was that he couldn't gather the strength to find Al and get his body back for him. He was already too far back.

_I'm sorry, Al..._

Awareness gradually settled in his body, and he realized that he was _not_ in his burning house, but sagging against something. He could also tell he was propped up in a chair. The top half of his torso was sagging awkwardly forward, partially crushing his burning lungs with his hunched position. Still, he made no attempt to try and reposition, too preoccupied with the intense heat he felt radiating from every pore.

What had happened to him? Had he finally gone overboard on one of his rants? Had Mustang torched him for going too far with his insubordination? Was that why every nerve in his body protested from being fried and burned by the fire coming from within him? He wasn't sure if that was the reason, but it was definitely a threat Mustang had made on more occasions than he care to remember. Although this would be the first time his superior had ever carried out that terrifying threat. But he guessed that didn't actually mean anything since there was a first time for everything.

A sense of foreboding shivered across Edward's pain-filled body, bringing with it a sort of chill that settled deep in his bones, just below the raging fire in his veins. He needed to figure this all out, he knew, but one terrifying thought crept to the forefront of his unfocused mind. Where was Al?

Ed's eyes snapped open and his already labored breathing increased. He couldn't seem to get enough oxygen, but he couldn't gather enough focus to push himself away from the restraints so he could open up his lungs. All he could think about was Al, and he was immediately sent into a panicked frenzy.

He wasn't able to free his flesh hand, and his automail arm wasn't even responding, but he still wiggled against his restraints tirelessly, the rope biting into his soft wrist, most likely drawing blood. He didn't even register the new pain coming from his hand, too intent on finding his brother.

"Al?" His voice was pathetically weak and hoarse. The sound of his own voice made him flinch but he didn't dwell on the matter too long. With unfocused golden eyes, Ed cast his sight frantically around the room in the hope that he might catch a glimpse of the metal suit of armor that housed his little brother's soul. Nothing else registered with his cloudy, unfocused gaze.

"AL?!" He was truly starting to panic now. His breaths picked up speed and became shallower. He couldn't remember if he had already searched the room for his little brother or not, so he checked another three times, just to make sure. Fear took over him when he realized that Alphonse was nowhere in sight.

"Fullmetal?"

Edward's breathing hitched and his blurred sight moved to where a figure sat in front of him. Ed had to scrunch his eyes and squint at the figure to try and make out who it was. He didn't dare hope that this human shaped figure was his brother. He could focus enough to know that would definitely send him over the edge.

From what he could make out in the dim lighting of the drafty, windowless room, the figure was a man tied to a chair. That was pretty much it.

"Breathe, Fullmetal. Don't forget to breathe."

Had he been holding his breath? And why was he almost ready to disobey this gentle voice that told him to breathe so he wouldn't suffocate. Why did this voice make him want to defy everything it said. Nevertheless, Edward exhaled forcefully before greedily sucking in oxygen and repeating the process, his lungs burning all the while. He took another look at the man, his vision no longer tunneled after he had sucked in enough air to clear it a bit. He managed to make out the man's eyes and suddenly, everything made complete sense while it made absolutely none. They were a terrifyingly familiar onyx. The ones that had always smirked at him and teased him, looked at him in concern and in anger. Right now, those held an emotion Ed would have never believed they could.

"Edward!" The voice snapped sharply, the figure attempting to pull himself towards the boy. By now, Ed was completely hyperventilating. He wanted Al. He _needed_ Al. He needed his little brother, and that thought made him feel guilty, like he shouldn't want to be with his brother. But that didn't make any sense. He needed to make sure his little brother was still safe. Because if those eyes hadn't lied to him, then he knew he was done for. If those eyes were genuine, he had everything to be afraid of.

Because Colonel Roy Mustang was terrified.


	2. Chapter 2

**I got a lot of positive reviews for this story to continue, so here's the next chapter. I know, I know I said I wouldn't have a lot of time to update, but I ignored my homework to write this for you guys. Disclaimer's in the first chapter. Enjoy(:**

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"Edward," Roy hissed, trying desperately to gain the boy's attention. Ed was frantically twisting and turning, and his breaths were shallow and uneven. "Fullmetal!"

Nothing was working. The boy's attention was elsewhere, not surprising with the unfocused gaze the boy held. Still, Roy had expected more from the boy. Edward was supposed to have been his pride and, well, maybe joy was a little overstating it considering how annoyed the boy could make Mustang, but it was something of the sort. Edward was said to be a genius, a child prodigy. The young alchemist was his ticket up the military ladder. Was it asking too much for Edward to focus and pay attention for a couple of minutes?

Guilt settled in his stomach but Roy shook his head and decided to focus on something else than the hyperventilating boy. Edward was too panicked for him to do anything about while he was tied up. Roy tugged against his restraints before leaning back, giving up. He hadn't really thought that they would break, but he figured it was worth a shot.

His mind wandered back to where this whole mess started and he grit his teeth in anger. He had been stupid to think that taking that call would be anything but trouble.

* * *

"Hello?" Roy asked, voice slurred with sleep, into the receiver. He glanced at the clock: 3 AM. He really should have been in bed sleeping so he would be rested enough to deal with Hawkeye and his paperwork, but the phone just sounded so damn annoying he wouldn't have been able to sleep while it rang anyways. Thoughts of disconnecting the phone crossed his mind, but he would probably forget to reconnect the device later. Then he'd have a bigger problem to deal with. So he answered the damn phone.

"Colonel." His title was breathed softly into the phone and Roy recognized Edward's voice. Ed's tone was quiet but urgent. "I'm off Main Street behind the old pawn shop, in the back alley. I need your help."

This was new. Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, was asking for Roy's help? Mustang would have never thought that Edward could have swallowed his pride and asked for help. Still, it was really late and if he didn't show up rested and ready to work tomorrow, Hawkeye would probably shoot him. After careful contemplation, Roy decided not to brush Edward off to Havoc. His curiosity was too much.

"With what?" he asked.

"I need a little favor and you're the only one I can think of to help me."

The only one? Now that was interesting. Roy smirked, even though he knew Fullmetal couldn't see him, he made sure the smirk was conveyed in his tone. "Not even your brother? Or does he need help, too?"

Silence reigned on the other end, and all Roy could hear was the crackling of static. Mustang could almost feel the boy's tension through the phone and he immediately regretted ever opening his mouth, knowing he must have crossed a line he wasn't aware existed.

"Yeah, about that...Al's safe." Cautious. Ed sounded cautious and defensive, as if he was arguing that Alphonse really was safe. "He's not here, but he's safe."

Roy could only imagine what that meant. He had no idea how to even begin understanding Edward's statement. But he caught Edward's tone. The boy was completely miserable without his metal suit of a brother. The young alchemist must have been devastated to be separated from his brother, and that raised an important question that Roy was sure he wouldn't enjoy asking. Why wasn't Edward with Alphonse?

"What do you need?" Roy asked instead, purposely keeping his voice professional, not wanting to cross another topic he didn't know was off limits. He didn't like this one bit.

"There's someone after me. They keep asking about some mission that the military conducted. I don't know anything about it, but I guess the bastard after thinks I do."

Well that was quite the explanation. There were numerous reasons as to why someone was chasing Fullmetal. He was a state alchemist after all, a dog of the military. And soldiers mad enemies. But to go after a kid who had no information on the mission the guy was looking for intel about? This didn't make any sense.

"Did he say what mission?"

"It started with a G," Ed's voice was starting to sound agitated, as if he were wasting too much time. Personally, Roy agreed with this. They needed to get to the bottom of this as soon as they could. "And there's another thing. He keeps cutting off my routes to the base. I barely managed to lose him so I could call you."

"Have you engaged him in combat yet?" Roy would never admit it aloud, but Edward was one of the most skilled fighters he knew. The boy was quick and resourceful. He had no doubts that Ed could take this guy on and last a while, especially if the bastard wasn't an alchemist. If that was the case, he almost guaranteed that Edward would end up the victor.

"I didn't. I was too busy trying to-" Edward stopped talking. There was complete silence before Edward started yelling, his voice sounding far off. "Dammit! Colonel! Get your egotistical ass down here and help me! He's-"

Roy waited, fear twisting in his stomach. "Fullmetal?" he asked impatiently and urgently, but to no avail. His only response was the dial tone. He hung up the phone.

What was going on? Why would someone be after a kid who knew nothing about what they looking for? It didn't make any sense. Unless...

Cursing, mustang dressed and grabbed his weapons-his pistol and ignition gloves-before running out the door, hoping to God that he got to the alley behind the old pawn shop in time.

* * *

Footsteps walking towards the open door interrupted his musings, and Roy turned fearfully towards Edward, who had fallen unconscious again, head hanging limply on his chest. Roy sighed, grateful the boy would not be awake for another round of the approaching psycho's questioning.

"Well, well. Fullmetal still out?" A coarse voice broke through the silent anticipation that Roy had unintentionally adopted. He turned his head slightly, just enough to be able to see his captor without taking his eyes off of Edward. The light from the open door was just as dim and didn't do anything to enlighten him of his captor's features, but Roy had already taken a good look at him before, finding what he saw off-putting.

The man in question stomped over to stand in front of him, sort of limping and favoring his right leg as he did so. Roy suppressed a satisfactory smile, trying to keep his emotions on hold for the moment. He had no idea whether this man was going to do something psychotic or not, but he wasn't really in the mood to tempt fate. He'd already done way too much of that in the past of 36 hours.

The man smirked. He was maybe in his late twenties-early thirties, with brown shaggy hair and hazel eyes. Nothing you would expect from a psychopath. He looked like a typical father with a wife and kids; with a good paying job and a modest home. Everything about him screamed family man, not crazy kidnapper. But Roy worked in the military. Anyone and everyone could be a psychotic criminal. The only thing that labelled the man to truly be crazy was his broken eyes. Every glance was feral and psychotic.

Roy didn't bother to answer the crazy man's question, knowing something sarcastic would come out if he did. He had already felt first hand just how far that would get him. Instead, he settled for glaring, channeling his anger full force towards his anger full force towards his captor.

Mustang learned early on in his capture that talking back or defying his captor would only get he or Fullmetal hurt, so he rebelled silent. Only answering when it was apparent his captor would do something drastic. Edward, on the other hand, rebelled loudly and sarcastically. This only got him in more trouble than Roy could have ever imagined.

"As soon as Fullmetal wakes up, we'll begin."

Roy could almost envision the man licking his lips in excited anticipation and he scrunched up his nose in digus. He knew what would happen as soonas the boy woke, and he prayed to whatever god was listening that the boy would sleep forever.

A slight groan caught both men's attention and Mustang glance at Edward in fear and annoyance, while his captor gazed at the boy with excitement and anticipation. He should have known his luck would run out and Edward would wake up. He just didn't understand why it had to be so quickly.

"Looks like the guest of honor has awoken."

Mustang pulled against his restraints, trying in vain to escape the ropes keeping him to the chair. His fear clouded his mind and judgement, causing blind panic to coarse through his body. Unintentional words slipped between grit teeth as he watched captor slowly walk towards his youngest subordinate.

"You've done enough to him. Leave him alone!" Roy hissed. "It's me you want!" Instead of stopping, the man practically skipped to the chair Edward was tied to, completely ignoring Mustang's orders to leave Ed alone.

"Now, Edward. It's time to wake up. I have a question for you."

Edward groaned again, not completely awake yet, but alert enough to know he was being talked to. "What?" he whined, sounding like he was six years old. Roy couldn't exactly blame him, though. Edward was most likely suffering from a fever, the flush of his cheeks and the way he was unable to completely focus all the evidence Roy needed to confirm his theory.

Their captor repeated himself. "I need you to answer a question."

Edward shook his head, maybe trying to gather his wits about him, maybe attempting to tell the man no, Roy could only guess. Ed glanced at the man before turning his unfocused gaze to Roy. Realization seemed to dawn on the boy as soon as he met Roy's eyes. Ed broke the unintentional staring contest and turned back to the man. With a boy as beat up and broken as he was, Edward sure knew how to wake up quick.

"So how about it?"

Edward shrugged and leaned back a little bit, relieving the pressure on his lungs. "Depends on the question."

Now that he wasn't hunched over, Roy could better see how bad Edward's injuries were. Blood dripped from behind the chair where his hands were tied in a slow, but steady, stream. Dark red stains clashed with the black T-shirt that Edward was wearing, but from what Roy could see, there was absolutely no damage to the T-shirt itself. The only other injury Roy could see was in the boy's right thigh, where a round hole was bleeding profusely, even almost 24 hours after acquiring the wound.

Except for a few scratches here and there and a bruised ego, Roy was completely fine, which made seeing Ed like this a whole lot harder. Guilt washed over him, but he quickly pushed the feelings aside and focused on the scene playing out in front of him.

The man's sadistic smirk was back in place below his broken eyes. "I need you to tell me about Mission grappling 2C. Everything you know."

This was the routine. The man would ask the question, usually just to Fullmetal, before Ed would say something sarcastic and mouth off. This would get Edward beat to a bloody pulp before the man would try to psychologically mess up and knock him out. Then the man would leave and wait for Edward to wake again, just to repeat the whole process.

Edward stiffened I his chair before raising an eyebrow. It seemed to Roy as if the boy's eyes had suddenly sharpened and the resistant nature that Edward usually held was back full force. "That wasn't a question."

The response to Edward's statement was a slap in the face. Roy winced as he watched the boy's face whip to the right, almost seeming to snap his neck with the force. Edward seemed stunned, but didn't appear all that hurt. Watching the past day and a half go by with torture ten times worse than a slap, he supposed that Edward was lucky that was all he got, After the blond recovered enough to do more than blink in shock, Ed turned back to his captor, glaring in defiance.

"What the hell was that for? I was just stating the truth!"

Their abductor was absolutely livid, his face pulled into a tight expression. "Let me rephrase that. What can you tell me about Mission Grappling 2C?"

Edward shrugged. "Nothing."

A punch to the gut and Edward was spitting out blood.

Roy felt frustrated with his own uselessness. This was his subordinate getting beaten in front of him. And it hadn't just been once. No, Roy had had to watch as a fifteen year old kid was beaten and kicked and punched and stabbed and electrocuted by this twenty-four straight ours, he had had to watch this, and Roy couldn't even bear to watch. With shame, Roy admitted that by the time the man had started tinkering with the kid's automail arm, using electricity to get ot the wires that were connecting his Central Nervous System to automail, Roy had turned away, barely even able to stomach the sound of Edward's screams.

It didn't help that this whole mess was his fault. Roy knew exactly what Mission Grappling 2C was, and the man knew it. So why was he torturing Edward and not _him_?

"You will tell me the truth."

Oh I am telling you the truth. I can't tell you anything."

"And why not?!" Another punch.

"O-rd-ers," Edward gasped out.

Roy wanted to scream and pull his hair out in frustration. The kid was such an idiot, lying like that. Edward knew next to nothing about the top secret mission and both alchemists knew it. But for some reason, the man had assumed that Edward knew everything about it.

Their captor drew back his hands and sighed, shaking his head. He had finally come to terms with the fact that he was getting nowhere with Edward. He had reached a dead end. Again, Roy wanted to feel proud his subordinate was following orders all the way to the end. He wanted to feel proud that the kid was holding out and staying determined. But he couldn't feel anything but foreboding and dread. What was going to happen to the kid now?

Silence reigned for several long moments before Roy's question was answered.

"Well, if you can't tell me what I need to know, then you aren't useful to me."

Edward glared. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Time for you to join your brother." And there was the last psychological blow that the man was ever going to deal now that he was finished with the boy. It was the lowest blow he could think to aim for.

Ed's face went chalk white and his eyes widened in shock. When he next spoke , his voice wavered. "My...brother?"

"Yes. You'll be joining him very soon."

And with that, the man retreated back the way he had come from, slamming the door behind him.

"Where is he?! Where's Al? Give me back my brother you bastard!"

Roy was immediately filled with a cold sense of adrenaline. This was their chance. Now all he had to do was get Fullmetal to initiate their escape plan and then they were home free! Freedom was so close Roy could almost taste it.

"Fullmetal," Roy hissed to the boy, trying to once again catch the attention of the boy still screaming obscenities at the closed door. He felt as if they had done a 360 and come full circle. "Edward!"

Edward stopped screaming and faced him, his cheeks still red and flushed with sickness. "What?" he asked miserably.

"Do it now. The door's shut."

The confused look on the boy's face was like an anchor sinking slowly to the bottom of Roy's stomach. "Do what?"

"The circle. Activate the circle that you drew. On the chair. It should be on the chair." Roy was getting impatient and he was trying his best not to take it out on his subordinate like he usually did.

Edward looked perplexed. "A circle?"

Roy watched restlessly as Ed felt around for a transmutation circle before he cried out softly with excitement and activated it. Immediately, the bindings fell away and Edward made to stand up. Unfortunately for Edward, this didn't turn out very well and he ended up face planting onto the unforgiving cold floor.

Roy winced in sympathy. "You alright?"

Edward nodded and with his flesh arm, got into a crouching position. He managed to stand up and take a few staggering steps before collapsing on his knees in front of Mustang's own chair, flinching slightly as he did so. Roy noticed but didn't say anything about it, not wanting to deal another blow to the boy's pride. Edward fumbled with the ropes but somehow got them untied with the clumsy and unsteady fingers of his flesh hand.

Roy took a closer look at the kid. Edward, who had looked so strong and defiant standing up to their captor, now looked pitiful and weak. He was soaked in sweat, pale and unsteady. Roy could feel the heat rolling off of the boy's skin waves. His golden eyes were bright and again unfocused. It really appeared as if it were taking all of his concentration to just remain upright.

After Roy got the rest of his ropes off, he reached for the lurching boy at once, throwing Edward's flesh arm over his shoulder to steady him.

"Think you can walk?" Roy asked gently, knowing the answer before the words ever left his lips. Roy knew exactly what the boy thought, but what he could actually do was another question entirely.

Ed nodded and Roy took a tentative step forward, not really wanting to carry Ed and fight a psychopath at the same time. Edward stepped forward with him, leaning heavily on Roy, almost using his superior as a crutch. Mustang was supporting more than half of Edward's weight, but Ed managed to stay upright, which seemed an accomplishment in and of itself.

"We need to find Al," Ed whispered.

Edward wasn't stupid. Roy knew exactly how smart the boy really was, but the way he was dealing with the whole situation was very unsettling. Edward was acting as if he didn't remember what had happened to him or what had happened to his brother. Roy's throat constricted as a stray thought crossed his mind. Did Edward not remember? Their captor had just been using the boy's words from his earlier in-coherency. Roy considered stopping briefly to try and gauge how much his subordinate actually remembered, but with Ed's temperature as high as it was, he decided it would be too much of a hassle. It would just cost them time they really didn't have.

"Yeah, Roy finally answered. "Let's take that bastard down and find Alphonse."

Edward nodded his agreement and the two set out at a snail's pace towards the closed door that their captor had always, _always_, kept open to keep an eye on them.

"Let's find my little brother."

* * *

**Alright! So with that, I'd like to say a few things. This part is only an introduction to the actual plot. It is important, but it's not necessarily supposed to be the most easy thing to follow. If you keep following the story, things will be a lot clearer and you'll understand exactly why these first few chapters are kind of...confusing.**

**Anyways, as for an update schedule, they'll most likely be between a week and two weeks apart. Depends on the week. Also, it will almost always be on a weekend. That's pretty much all I have to say!**

**To those who reviewed: Thanks so much for all your support! I appreciate your comments and you guys are great encouragement to keep this story going! I love reviews! If you guys have any criticism, don't be afraid to tell me! I welcome it. It makes me a better writer and it gives you guys a better story!**

**Tell me what you guys thought!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Miss me? Here's another chapter! Considering my schedule, I was surprised that I was able to write this. Also, I'm still looking for beta! If you want to or know anyone who would like to beta, PM me please! Well, this one is a little shorter, but I've already started on Chapter 4 and it's going to be the longest by far. I'll probably have that one up in the next two to three weeks. Anyways, Enjoy the chapter!**

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At this point, Ed wasn't sure what to think. The fact that the colonel was practically carrying him was terrifying to him, but he wasn't sure how to voice his concerns without sounding like a total wacko. So, he kept his thoughts to himself. Still, this was the man who teased him and challenged him, who he went out of his way to annoy just because. This was the same man who seemed to know everything. Sometimes he knew something only a fortune teller could ever guess. Somehow, some way, Roy Mustang knew everything he did, where he did it, when he did it, how he did it, and why he did it. And Edward had to rely on that man to help him through this. That thought absolutely terrified him, and Ed wasn't really sure why.

As they limped their disjointed walk towards the closed door, Ed couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He couldn't remember where he was, why he was there, or how he got there. He was injured and from the way his body felt, most likely sick. He could barely walk forward. Meanwhile, the colonel was his complete opposite. The man looked strong and healthy, with barely a scratch on him. Mustang was supporting both of their weight while Edward could support hardly any of his own. He was sure Mustang knew exactly what had happened to the both of them, which only made everything ten times worse.

The only thing the two had in common was the uncertainty lying in wait ahead of them. Neither knew what was going to happen once they reached that door. They could only hope for the best. The one thing Ed knew for sure was that Al was beyond it. If he wanted to reach Al, then he had to fight his way past the unforeseeable, tooth and nail, just like he always had. The only difference between then and now? Al was no longer by his side. Ed's face turned down into a grimace. Roy Mustang had now taken the lead from him. He didn't want to admit it, but now Edward finally had someone to lean on. Physically and mentally. He no longer had to bear the largest burden; the biggest responsibility had been taken from off of his shoulders. So why wasn't he grateful? Why did that thought frighten him so much? What was he so afraid of?

"Are you alright? Are you in pain?" Mustang's soft, baritone voice jolted Ed from his thoughts and back into reality.

"Wh-what?" he asked, a little shakily.

Mustang gave him a strange look. There was something off about his expression, but Ed couldn't really put his finger on it.

"I asked if you were in pain."

Ed shook his head. "It's not too bad. I just feel kind of nauseous. That's all."

The colonel nodded, but there was still something about his expression that was putting Edward off. Ed had seen that expression before, but his mind was too muddled to clearly think. He squinted, as if he could make himself physically remember. A fleeting thought, maybe a fragment of a memory, floated towards him, tempting him, but he couldn't seem to grab it. It kept slipping away as soon as he got close enough to close his hand around it. His fingers barely missed, again and again. Every time.

The door. They were already at the door. It was closed, and Ed had a feeling that it wasn't supposed to be. What had the colonel said? Something about the guy finally closing the door? Was that why they were escaping? Maybe Ed's thinking wasn't too clear, but he was pretty sure doors had to be opened to be able to go through them. At least for normal people. So why did the door have to be closed for them to go through it?

Ed was starting to get dizzy with all this thinking. Were there always three Mustangs? And to make it all worse, he felt as if his stomach was going on a roller coaster ride.

"Colonel?" he muttered. Somehow, Mustang had heard his quiet call.

"What is it?"

"I think I'm going to be sick." There was a moment of silence and Ed realized he had his eyes closed. He couldn't remember closing them, but couldn't muster up enough energy to try and force them open again, so he let himself stay in the darkness, hiding behind the obscurities that were his eyelids. At least this way the room wasn't spinning.

"How sick?"

Edward groaned and leaned to the side. The cold ground rushed up to meet his hands and knees, and before Ed knew it, he was gagging on absolutely nothing, his stomach trying to force the nothingingness out.

"Edward!"

Unfortunately, Ed was too busy dry heaving to answer. As soon as Ed's stomach finally decided to let him have a break, he was shaking with exhaustion.

"Colonel?" He whispered weakly, groping the space next to him with his flesh hand. A firm but gentle grip grabbed him and pulled him to his feet. Ed was swept up by gloved hands, and Edward recognized them right away. The ignition gloves. The colonel. So they were preparing to fight someone? Edward's body didn't really agree with that idea. He really just wanted to go to sleep in a nice warm bed.

"I'm right here."

Just as fast as he was picked up, he was set down. He struggled, not wanting to leave the comfort of the colonel's arms, but not liking the feeling of dependency. Besides, the coolness of the wall and the floor were seeping into him. It wasn't pleasant. He felt too many extremes at once. Too hot. Too cold. Too tired. Too hungry. Too lonely.

Lonely. Yes, he was lonely without Al. Maybe that was what terrified him so much. He was lonely, but in a different sense, completely surrounded. The colonel was protecting him, but that wasn't enough to comfort him. The only way he could only feel safe was if he had his little brother right by his side, just like he always had. Al was his constant.

And then the memory hit, just like a tractor. He was in a wheel chair, unable to move. He had to be so dependent on everyone else. And it depressed him. The only thing that had gotten him through it was his brother. And then _he_ came. He had come through that door. _He_ hadn't given Ed that look that everyone else had. He was different somehow. There was no pity. Everyone else had gazed at him with that horrible expression. With pity. But Ed was strong. _He_ had come to give Ed new determination. _He _had chosen to help Ed in a way most people would never dare. _He_ made Ed gain his independency back. _He_ was the reason Ed was where he was today. But why wasn't Al here, too?

Was Ed really so helpless without his brother to stand with? No, that wasn't the whole truth. Al needed him, too. They stood together. Always and forever.

* * *

"We're all we've got!"

This wasn't good. Ed was muttering to himself, shaking and sweating profusely. Was he going into shock? Was he cold? Roy wasn't all that sure, but he did know Edward was in no shape to fight. He would come back for the small alchemist later.

He turned for the door and held out his hand. And he snapped. The entire wall exploded and Roy ran forward with determination. This bastard was about to be blown straight to hell.

The adjoining room was empty, so Roy moved on. In the next room, Roy found exactly who he was looking for and more. The psycho looked shocked to see Roy, as if he couldn't believe anyone would be able to escape from him, but he also had friends. Still, as a trained soldier, Roy didn't hesitate. He snapped again.

It was a spark, and then it was an inferno. It surrounded most of the men, licking hungrily at the exposed skin, burning flesh to ashes. Soon there was nothing left but charred remains. But Roy had missed his target.

"Dammit!" Roy yelled as he dove behind a table, knocking it over onto its side to avoid the gunfire. He heard the gunshots and watched as several missed him, blowing bullet holes through the solid oak of the table. If he didn't move, he was going to get shot. So Roy moved. A hand at least.

Roy threw his hand upward and snapped, engulfing almost the entire room in searing flames. The heat was so intense that even Roy felt the need to escape. He waited for the inferno to die down before peeking his head over the table to take a glance at the mess he had made. There was nothing left but ashes and charred remains. Maybe he had gone a little overboard.

He sighed. "Well that was anticlimactic," he muttered, giving the room one last look, locating the way out of this hell hole before turning back the way he had come. By the time Roy got into the room that led into the alchemists' cell, he could hear Ed screaming. He didn't think. He sprinted.

"Fullmetal!"

"It's all my fault. I didn't have a choice! You have to believe me. He was after us! It was there!"

Ed was spouting nonsense, his eyes rolling around uselessly in his head. It was clear that he was no longer in touch with reality. He was in his own world, most likely trying to deal with Al's disappearance. This wouldn't be easy.

Roy knew how much Ed cared for his brother. He knew how Edward would do anything for the boy in the armor. But he also knew that Ed was of no use while in this state. If only he could get him to calm down some. To think. To be that cocky, sarcastic fifteen year old again.

Roy jogged over to the far well where he had set Ed down, and kneeled next to him. "Fullmetal!" he called out, shaking Ed's shoulder. "Edward!"

The boy was grabbing at his coat now, as if to physically force his words onto Roy. "It isn't my fault! He said it would work! It didn't work! Now he's lost! He's lost! He's gone and it's all my fault! MY FAULT!"

Roy grabbed Edward and pulled into his arms and onto his lap, trying to, in some desperate way, comfort the boy. Edward couldn't hear him, see him, or feel him. The fever was rampaging, and it was causing some serious damage now. Delusions, maybe fragmented memories, were most likely all that Ed could see right now.

"Shh," Roy tried to calm the hysterical alchemist. "You're okay, Ed. You're okay. Al's okay. Alphonse is fine. You'll both be fine."

Ed shook his head and grabbed Roy's coat with his flesh hand. He pushed his face into the military uniform, all the while shaking. "It's my fault. He's gone. Gone gone gone gone GONE!"

Roy smoothed Ed's hair down, the braid coming undone almost instantly. "You're okay. It wasn't your fault. You did what you had to do. Do you remember where he is?"

Edward stopped breathing for a full minute and everything went completely silent. Roy didn't dare move until he heard the hoarse whisper, "Graveyard."

"The graveyard? Is that where Alphonse is, Edward?"

Edward looked up at Roy; tear stricken face twisted into an expression of pleading misery. He gripped the coat with both hands, as if begging Roy to understand. The heat rolling off the boy was almost unbearable for Mustang to handle, with Edward pressed so close to him. He couldn't imagine how horrible Ed was probably feeling right now. "The gate."

To say Roy was confused was an understatement. "What gate? Edward? The gate to the graveyard? In Central?"

Ed shook his head again. "N-No! The truth. He has both! I can't find him! I can't...I can't...find...him...Al...phonse..." The hysterics were quickly overcome by exhaustion and Roy was left holding an unconscious state alchemist. Ed's fever driven ravings had left Roy with more questions than answers. There were no answers to this whole situation with the information Roy held. What he needed to do was get Edward to tell him what the boy could not remember. But for now, he would settle with a trip to the hospital.

"Hang on, kid," Roy told the sleeping Edward Elric, standing up as carefully as he could while still hanging onto the small blond. "I've got you."

* * *

**Cheesy ending. I know. Sorry. Thanks to all you who reviewed! It's probably the only reason I'm continuing this story! Review and tell me what you think, what you're looking forward to! Suggestions help, too! I take criticism pretty well. The more you tell me what I'm doing wrong, the more I can fix it and make this story better!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**So this came to me earlier than I thought it would. Since it did, I decided to post it early. If there are any errors or anything like that, tell me. I proofread it, but I'm not perfect and i might have missed something. Thank you to all that reviewed! You guys inspire me to keep going with this, even when I don't have time to. Exams are fast approaching so I'll be busy with those for the next few weeks. I won't post anything until after school gets out, so those of you who are just dying to read this, I totally apologize! Thanks for sticking with me through this mystery of a story! You guys are amazing! Okay! I'm done. Time to read(:**

* * *

Edward's head was pounding. He was lying on something soft, so soft it was almost uncomfortable. And he was burning. Ed frowned. His body felt hot and heavy. He wished for nothing more than Al's cold metal to lie on and cool his skin off. But on the other hand, he felt like shivering. Ed wasn't stupid. He was freezing his ass off and his senses were dulled by the heat coming from his head. Fever.

"Shouldn't he be in the hospital?" Ed felt his hand twitch as soon as he heard the voice. He hated hospitals.

The voice sounded vaguely familiar. One he heard often, but not one that was immediately recognizable. Edward decided not to draw attention to himself and instead lay still, intent on listening in on the conversation.

A sigh sounded from what Ed figured was another person. "It's fine. His fever's gone down some. Not to mention I had the doctors give me all of his medication before he left."

That voice he knew.

"Still, he should be in the hospital resting, sir. Not here. I saw those wounds, and the doctor told me about the infections," the first voice responded, a frown prominent in his tone. Now that Ed was thinking about it, it sounded like one of Mustang's men. If only he could figure out which one.

"If they told you that, then they must have also told you that he needs to be in a stable environment. Especially after the second incident."

Incident? Ed didn't remember any incident. What was Mustang talking about? His foot twitched involuntarily, sending a surprising amount of pain through the rest of his body, disrupting every coherent thought he had managed earlier. He opened his mouth in a silent cry of agony. He completely tuned out the conversation that was happening across the room he was in. His whole body began to burn with icy fire, rushing through his veins. He struggled, trying to make it go away. He felt as if he had gotten hit by a tractor, bones and muscles aching alike. Finally, he just lay still and dealt with it, having no more energy to fight the pain. After another moment, the pain faded, leaving him still and short of breath.

He was about to return to eavesdropping on the soldiers' conversation, but was surprised to hear that they were no longer talking in hushed whispers, but were no screaming into his ears. His headache increased tenfold. He quickly pressed his palms to his ears and the world went silent, but not without a price.

This time he did cry out. He was lost in the agony of moving, unable to escape. He laid still again, willing the pain to leave. Thankfully, it did. As long as he didn't move he was fine. He would have to remember that from now on.

"Edward!" A voice muffled by his hands called out.

Slowly and shakily, he risked moving his hands away from his head, gritting his teeth all the while. The pain, while it still felt like fire so hot it seemed ice cold, was not as intense as before. It seemed the more slowly he moved, and the more carefully he situated himself, the more pain could be avoided.

"Ed," a voice breathed out quietly next to him. Mustang. Mustang was somewhere beyond the darkness, but he didn't dare open his eyes just yet. He was still afraid of what kind of suffering lie in wait for him if he did. He wasn't ready for that yet.

"What do you think, sir? A migraine?" The other voice threw in softly. It was...Fuery? Havoc? Possibly the former. Ed couldn't really differentiate at the moment.

"Probably," Edward heard Mustang admit reluctantly. "If that's the case then we need to stay quiet. Hawkeye will shoot me if he throws up on the bed."

"I'll shoot you if he throws up anywhere, sir." Another voice, too soft and too far away for Ed to even guess the owner of, called out.

Silence reigned for several moments before the young Master Sergeant spoke up. "Sir, isn't this your h-"

A whine sounded, cutting Kane off halfway through his question. It took Ed a moment to realize that the sound had come from _him_. Oops.

"Ed? You awake?"

"Hurts," Ed breathed out in a hoarse whisper automatically. He immediately shut his mouth after the involuntary truth escaped his traitorous lips. He hadn't meant to say anything at all, but the word had left his mouth before he had had any time to think about it, responding to Mustang's soft, gentle tone.

"What hurts? You need to tell me Edward," urged the colonel.

Ed's eyes squeezed together more tightly. He was determined not to answer this one. The colonel had said that he had a migraine, and Ed knew that migraines went right along with puking. And honestly, his stomach and head were both spinning elaborate Ferris-wheel sized circles inside of him. Having no idea where he was, he'd really prefer if he didn't puke his guts out. Not only would it be gross, it'd be embarrassing. He wasn't a child that needed to be looked after, but if he vomited now when he could barely move without screaming in agony, then that was exactly how it would be like. Mustang and Fuery would have to clean up after him, just like a kid.

"I'm not a kid," Ed muttered aloud, just to make sure that everyone knew that there was no way in hell he was going to throw up and be treated like a child who couldn't make it to the toilet.

"We know, Edward. Can you open your eyes for me?"

Edward shook his head in a negative and that bad feeling in his stomach went from bad to worse. He froze and muttered, "Can't. M'head hurts."

Cautiously, Ed put a hand out, trying to find some stability in his spinning world. The colonel met him halfway, rough hand gripping Ed's flesh one.

I know, but you've been asleep for a while now. We need you up and eating."

Food? There was no way his stomach would be able to handle anything, be it food or water. All he really wanted to do was go to sleep and rid himself of the roaring ache that he taken host of his body. Maybe he really _had_ gotten hit by a tractor.

"No. Sleeeep," Ed moaned, drawing out the last word to emphasize his need.

A sigh echoed against the room's walls. Edward assumed it was the colonel's. It sounded bastardish enough.

"Edward, you're not going to get any better if you don't eat anything. And to do that, you need to open your eyes."

Edward frowned. His body was aching as he moved and shifted, but the intense pain was gone. His headache was subsiding, too. Maybe he could do what Mustang asked. Although, what he really wanted to do was turn over and fall back asleep, completely ignoring the colonel. But the rational side knew his stubborn, pig-headed side was completely wrong on this one. Mustang was right. He almost shuddered as he admitted that to himself.

"Fine," Ed muttered, reluctantly giving in to the colonel's request. He cracked his eyelids open. The light was blinding at first, but after a few blinks, his vision adjusted so he was looking up at a blurry Mustang. Slowly, his eyes focused and he was able to see the whole room clearly.

It was a moderately sized bedroom filled with a dresser, a desk, a bed, a bedside table, and three other people. Ed started when he saw Hawkeye standing in the doorway. He felt a rush of embarrassment for looking so...sick with her there.

"Why is the lieutenant here?" Edward asked without warning, surprising even himself. Damn, he needed to figure out what was wrong with his brain. Maybe it was just the diminishing headache. Whatever it was, it had obviously turned off the filter that monitored what words came out of his mouth.

The colonel gave him an odd look, and instead of answering, posed his own question, "What do you remember?"

Ed's brow furrowed. "Do you mean about the hospital?"

Mustang looked surprised and Ed cursed that missing filter once more. It was clear that he wasn't supposed to know that he had even been in one. Now Ed was going to have to admit that he had been eavesdropping. Still Edward was glad that he didn't remember anything from antiseptic prison. Ed shuddered at the thought of waking up in a hospital bed with his arm pinned with needles.

But something that the colonel had said before, now that he thought about it, was strange. He had asked what Ed remembered, like he was expecting the young alchemist to not remember. Was Mustang hiding something?

"I didn't think you'd remember after the sedation the doctors gave you," Mustang responded, almost as if he was reading Ed's mind. Ed grimaced at the colonel's words. So that's what it had been. "Do you remember the first incident or the second incident? Or both?"

Ed shook his head before putting his automail hand flat onto the bed. He grimaced when he had to concentrate on moving it more than usual. He pushed his weight onto it. Pulling his flesh hand from the colonel, he used his other arm as support. With a grunt, and some of Mustang's help, Ed managed to sit up and lay against the headboard.

"I don't remember anything," Ed admitted. He settled for being vague, hoping the colonel wouldn't ask any further questions, but also knowing his hope was a little unrealistic. Mustang frowned at him in confusion before Ed saw the realization dawn on his face and, to Ed's surprise, Mustang started laughing.

"What?" Ed bristled, praying a blush wasn't forming on his already reddened cheeks. He quickly averted his eyes to glare at the far wall in embarrassment, and to some extent, shame. "What's so damn funny?"

Mustang shook his head as his chuckles died down. "So the pipsqueak was eavesdropping. What'd you hear?"

Ed scowled at the height comment, but didn't really have the energy to go fully at it with Mustang like usual. The bastard would just have to pay for it later. Still, just because he didn't have any energy didn't mean he couldn't pout about it. Shrugging his shoulders, Ed answered, "Something about wounds and a stable environment."

His gaze darted from the wall to the colonel and back, trying to gauge Mustang's reaction without having to look directly at him. The man didn't look mad or disappointed or anything like Edward expected him to. To Ed's astonishment, Mustang looked amused.

"So you don't remember anything at all?"

Something clicked right then. Ed turned his head slowly; liquid gold meeting the unamused onyx gaze of Mustang's that had been hidden by his cheerful façade. Edward was pretty sure his face went ghostly pale, all of the blood draining out of it.

"Al. Where's Al?"

Mustang sighed, the cheerful front falling to pieces almost immediately after the words left Edward's lips. The way Mustang was reacting, Ed almost feared the response. Was he dead? Alive but captured? Lost? Sacrificed? Shattered? Ed feared all of those answers almost more than he feared no answer at all.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Another question. Edward felt himself growing angry. Why couldn't Mustang just answer him for once? All he needed was one straight answer. Ed supposed he would have to play the colonel's little game. He had no choice if he wanted to know what had happened to Al.

Thinking about it, Ed realized that his memory wasn't all that great. The last thing he remembered...? Ed's eyes widened in realization.

"What? What is it?"

"Al...We..." Ed's voice broke. He swallowed hard and tried again. "We...managed to snag the stone from the homunculi. The last thing I remember seeing is Envy socking me in the face."

"You must've fallen unconscious."

Edward nodded, once again avoiding the colonel's eyes. The colonel sounded disappointed, like it wasn't the answer he had been looking for. Ed felt ashamed he had been knocked out with a single punch. Instead of responding to Mustang's statement, he immersed himself in his last memories, hoping to gain some sort of insight as to what had happened to Al.

* * *

"Brother!" Edward started from his light doze on the train. He rubbed an eye with his flesh hand and looked to Alphonse, still trapped in the metal suit.

"Whatsit?" Ed slurred, still half asleep.

Al pointed at the train car's large window and turned his head, directing the young state alchemist's gaze to it as well. Ed's jaw almost dropped to the ground in amazement. Outside of the window was one of the most striking views Ed had ever seen. A waterfall, falling from the clouds, spilling into a lake of crystal glass. Ed was absolutely entranced with the overwhelming sight.

"That shouldn't be possible, Brother!" Al cried excitedly.

"I know!" Ed replied, completely awake now. "Physics say that the lake should be disturbed by the water falling, but it's not even so much as moving!" By now, Ed's face was pressed up to the glass of the window.

The sight completely defied science and its laws. Science said that the water falling into the water should create a disturbance and cause waves, but there was absolutely no energy transfer. The water was still as tons of water came crashing down into it. Physics and science said that this should not be possible, and yet, this place existed, not just ignoring the laws, but defying them and shoving them down to land flat on their butts. It slapped science in the face. It made Ed question his beliefs, bringing a flicker of doubt to all that he had ever known, if only for a moment. It turned everything he had thought he had figured out completely upside down. All it took was one miracle, just one, to bring science crashing down to its knees.

And then Ed was staring at a little town surrounded by the highest mountains he had ever seen, reaching towards the sky, parting the clouds to do so. The astonishing sight Ed had marveled at not seconds ago had vanished, lost behind the train in the tall peaks of the surrounding mountains. Ed turned to Al and grinned, not at all worried that his belief in science had just been kicked to the ground.

Now that's not something you see every day," Ed told Al, sitting back down on the lumpy train seat.

The metal shell of his brother hummed in response.

The two brothers sat quietly for the rest of the long train ride, finishing out their uncomfortable journey at the train station in the town that Edward had seen outside the window. After hopping off the car and onto the platform, Edward set down his suitcase and took the chance to stretch both arms up above his head.

"Man," he told Al, "That was the longest train ride ever."

Edward knew that if Al could, he'd be rolling his eyes. "You always say that, brother. I'm not even sure how you can tell with all the sleeping you do."

Edward picked up his suitcase and the two began their walk out of the crowded station. "What are you talking about, Al? I don't sleep that much. You're exaggerating." Edward glance down at a piece of paper that had been given to him by the colonel. Their next instructions were to find the police station. He began a search for it.

Alphonse made a noise like a metallic scoff. "Are you kidding me? You fell asleep right after we left Central, and that was almost ten hours ago!"

Edward stopped his searching, and turned to Al. He scratched the back of his head, trying to hide his slight embarrassment. "Really? Sorry about that, Al. You must have been lonely."

Al shook his head. "Forget about it."

Edward sighed. He knew that Al knew that Ed felt guilty whenever he realized that he had left Al alone with his thoughts for a long time. He tried his hardest to keep his younger brother company, but he was always so _tired_. He hated pulling all-nighters because then he would have to make up for it afterwards, usually double what he would normally sleep. Edward returned to his searching.

"Do you know where the police station is?" Ed asked aloud.

Al shook his head. "Maybe we should ask," he suggested, gesturing to the crowds bustling around them. Ed's expression immediately soured. Help of any kind from people he knew was usually reluctantly accepted, but help from strangers was weird. It was hard for Edward to swallow his pride and ask for directions from someone he didn't know.

"You do it," Ed commanded, folding his arms and turning away from his younger brother with a scowl.

Al just made an exasperated noise. "You always do this, even when we were kids. You made _me_ do everything."

It was true, Ed had to admit, but they both knew that Alphonse had no trouble in politely asking for directions. Sure Edward could do it, but he could never master politeness like Alphonse could. Edward just shook a head at Al and waved him away. Another exasperated sigh sounded before Ed heard the telltale sound of his brother's armor clanking away from him and towards the nearest stranger.

A few minutes later, Edward was being led down the street towards a large unmarked building. Ed chanced a look around the large, crowd-filled street the brothers were travelling on. All in all, the town was impressive. It had a simple style to it, but the simplicity was surrounded by the natural beauty of the mountains, and the noonday sun cast the small town in a stunning light.

Edward scanned the crowd. Most of the people were foreigners, most likely here to view the astonishing sights in the area. Here and there, Ed could tell that the townspeople walked on the street, bustling about their own business. Thankfully, Ed saw no military. He scanned the crowds once more, just to make sure.

Edward froze. Somebody, who probably hadn't noticed him stop, bumped into him. He hardly noticed. He sat staring at the face he had hoped he would never see again. That face, the one he hoped would just leave him and Al to their lives. The one who-

"Brother!" Edward's head jerked towards Alphonse's voice, his face filled with distraught anger. Edward watched Al jog back to where he had stopped, armor clanking loudly as he did. Al tried again, sounding a little unsure this time. "Brother? Ed? Are you okay?"

Edward nodded, and then shook his head. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said, completely contradicting his actions.

Al noticed. "Then why are you shaking your head? What's wrong?" Al looked up and looked at the crowd that Ed had been scanning for military not seconds before. Ed tugged on Al's arm, desperately trying to get him to start walking again.

"Come on, Al. Mustang will kill me if I'm late again." He tugged again, but it was to no avail. The metal hunk of armor refused to move.

Al stopped scanning. "You never care about what Mustang thinks, Brother," Al told Ed before screaming at the top of his nonexistent lungs, "Dad!"

Edward stiffened in anger. No. This wasn't happening. No. _No._ It couldn't happen. Not now, not ever. This was the bastard who had abandoned their family. The man who had given him that cold stare before walking out of the Elric family forever.

"_Al_," Ed hissed. "We're leaving. Now."

Al ignored him and started waving frantically. Slowly, the crowd parted to reveal a man with long golden hair pulled into a ponytail and liquid gold eyes framed with glasses. The crowd parted to reveal a father who had never been a father.

Ed grit his teeth, trying to stop himself from shaking in anger. It was bad enough that Ed had to see him, but now he had to hear the bastard's voice, too? No. No way in _hell_ was this going to happen. Not while Edward was there. And he no longer was. Edward turned his back and took a step forward with all the intent to get back on the train and leave for Central. Who cared about a stupid job?

But that's when the bastard spoke, freezing Ed in his tracks. "Edward. The stone is here."

* * *

"Edward?" A hand waved in front of his face, startling the boy into grabbing at Mustang's shirt and pulling his head towards the man's chest. He faltered just centimeters away. The colonel was patiently still, waiting for Edward to make his decision. After a second of contemplation, Ed fisted the fabric of Mustang's black shirt tighter and threw himself forward into the larger man. Arms wrapped around him, adjusting Ed slightly so that he was sitting on Mustang's lap.

Edward couldn't help but try and hold back the sudden sob that caught in his throat. Tears welled in his eyes, but no amount of blinking or choking could hold back his despairing emotions. He felt so many at once. Everything was confusing and nothing made any sense anymore. All he really did know was that he was safe and Al was not.

He felt happy. The word felt foreign. It didn't belong here. Edward wasn't sure what did, but he knew it wasn't happiness. Something had happened to his little brother and here he was, happy.

Guilt? Was that what belonged inside him? What he deserved? If so, why did he deserve it? Shouldn't he be at home, happy with Al and his mother? Another pang of guilt, for the former. That was strange. Wasn't it usually the latter that he felt the most guilt for?

Fear. Prominent, approaching, but not quite there yet. It was stalking him, waiting for the right moment to strike. When he was most vulnerable, but wasn't that now? No, Ed knew that his security blanket was keeping that fright at bay, but the fear was lapping at his ankles. It was almost upon him. Just a few waves would do him in, he knew.

And he was back to loneliness. But what right did he have to be lonely? It was Al who had suffered the most, even though it was Ed's decision. He mentally frowned at that statement. It was his decision wasn't it? It was always Edward who had led them down the wrong path.

After a few moments of silent sobbing, Ed breathed in deeply, taking in Mustang's strange, slightly comforting scent. It was a start. Ed could make this right. He and Al would be together. He would get their bodies back. Edward would make everything right. Edward would be with his little brother once more. He just had to find him.

Edward pulled back guiltily from the colonel's tear stained shirt and glanced at those onyx black eyes. Mustang gave him a comforting smile before pulling Ed to his feet.

"We're having waffles."

* * *

**Right. I don't know why but I love this ending. Maybe it's just the waffles part(; Thanks for reading this guys! Again, if you guys have any suggestions don't be afraid to tell me. Review and tell me what you guys think! (I take criticism really well).**


	5. Chapter 5

**So, after almost a month, I'm back! I feel bad that it took so long to write this one. But not to worry, because an update has finally come! If you're worried that this will become a sort of regular thing, I'm sorry. I had exams plus a tournament in California that took me away for a week (we won by the way). I have all of next week to finish up chapter 7 before I leave for New York, so hopefully I will be getting 6 up by the 23rd. Just shoot for that date.**

**Thanks to Kazaru13, Victorious-Mind, BlueZebraAFHS, JazmineElric, Glass Box, Edo, Ruby, and DanteSpardafinatic42 for reviewing. you guys make my day(: If you guys have any comments or questions I'm happy to hear them. And if there is something you are dying to ask, about this story or anything else, i do answer PMs, so don't be afraid to shoot me one. Alright, once again, thank you to all of you that reviewed last chapter! You guys are amazing and I love to hear what you have to say.**

* * *

"_Edward. The stone is here."_

The words stopped him in his tracks. He didn't dare turn to face the man, no he couldn't. Not yet, at least. He needed to sort this through his mind. Questions raced through his mind, but he ignored every single one of them. There was no way that this bastard could know what he and Al were after. He hadn't seen the man since he was a child.

Edward spun on his heel, too angry to try and think rationally anymore. "And how would you know, you bastard?!"

The man didn't look surprised at his outburst, but he didn't look patient either. Irritation graced his golden pale face, hinted with disappointment and impatience. Edward's eyes searched for what he last remembered. Where was that steeled gaze? Where was that cold look? Where were those sculpted gold eyes that told Edward that his father would never see him again? None of it was there. Yes, this man was a stranger, but it was a different stranger.

"Follow me. I will take you there."

Al hadn't noticed. Ed just stared at the retreating figure in disbelief. Hoenheim hadn't even given him a second look. This man was not the father Edward had expected, but still not one he wanted. This man was completely different.

"Wait! Dad! Wait for us!"

Edward watched as Alphonse took off and now Ed no longer had any choice but to follow his brother and the stranger. The man was walking away, getting farther and farther away from the two brothers. Edward followed blindly in a sort of daze. His world had been shaken and he had been struck dumb by the sheer vastness of this new revelation. This man that the brothers were following was not the father Ed remembered.

They followed the stranger into a side alley. It was narrow-Al barely fit-but the man continued on as if nothing were wrong. As if he weren't pretending to be someone he wasn't. And Ed-why was Ed following him? This was wrong. He knew he should stop but he couldn't get his legs to stop their forward motion. His body wasn't responding to what his brain was telling him. Panic blossomed in his chest. This was wrong.

Finally, the stranger stopped in the middle of a worn, abandoned road, freezing Ed and Al in their pursuits as well. The man turned and gave the boys a wicked grin. The panic and fear was no longer just confined to Ed's chest. It shook in every single one of his limbs. "Envy," he whispered.

The fake Hoenheim held up a small red stone and chuckled, changing into a young man with long green hair-his other form. "I'm surprised, pipsqueak. Usually you wouldn't follow someone that easily. I overestimated you, it seems."

Ed's mouth was like cotton. The dryness made it hard to talk, so he licked his lips. He smirked at Envy, trying to appear more confident than he felt. "I only followed you so you could hand that stone over. If you surrender it now we won't have to hurt you."

Edward held both palms an inch apart to maximize his threat, readying himself to perform a quick transmutation if he needed to. Beside him, Alphonse's metal armor was shaking and clanking together, not really helping with the intimidation, but at least his younger brother got into a fighting position.

Envy just laughed. "Like you could hurt me. I'm not scared of a pipsqueak like you. I could beat you to hell and back in seconds."

The fear was completely gone now, replaced with anger and adrenaline. "You cocky bastard! Don't call me SMALL!" He pushed his hands to together into a clap before transforming his automail arm into a weapon. He ran forward, intending to meet Envy head on, but he was stopped as something pierced his left shoulder, holding him back. And then when he looked towards where Envy had been, he tried to back up when he found the shape shifter right in front of his face. Damn. Edward had been too hasty and now he was at Envy's mercy. This couldn't get any worse.

"Brother!"

"Now, now. Calm down. You two can have your fun with this stone." The homunculus shoved the small Philosopher's stone into Ed's flesh hand, causing Edward to completely lose focus on his anger, confusion clouding his senses in its stead.

Ed looked at Envy in surprise and suspicion. "Why're you giving this to me?"

Envy shrugged and backed away a few steps, taking with him the small knife that had been embedded in Ed's shoulder to stop his momentum. It was coated with glistening red almost all the way up to the hilt. Envy smirked. "Have fun with that. And take care of it, will ya? We'll be coming back for it later."

And just like that, he was given the Philosopher's stone and then a punch in the face, blacking out in unconsciousness.

* * *

"I'm worried."

There was no response to the Master Sergeant's statement.

"Sir? Are you sure it's okay that we leave him like this?"

Mustang just shrugged, not sure whether Kane was actually looking at him. Roy was too busy stirring the batter to pay attention to the fifteen year old boy who had spaced out at his table. True to his word, Roy had made waffles and was currently making extra batter for tomorrow. After stirring the batter to perfection, he covered the small bowl with a lid and stuck it in the fridge.

Roy turned around to face his table and almost sighed at the sight that lay before him. Edward, who had been shoving waffles down his throat like a wild animal not minutes before, was staring at the empty wall across from where he sat at the table. The golden-haired boy still clung onto his fork with his left hand and there was still a huge chunk of unchewed food sitting in his open mouth. Kane, who had sat himself next to the boy, was now waving a hand in front of the poor kid's face, trying to get Ed's attention.

"Fullmetal," Roy called, snapping Edward out of his reverie, although it hadn't really looked as if the boy had even heard him. Maybe whatever memory he had been playing in his mind had finished. It was exasperating, but this was happening way too much for Roy's liking. There was too much spacing out and not enough eating.

Edward looked around with wild eyes. "Where'd he go? Where am I?"

Roy raised an eyebrow, not amused that this was happening on his time. He had to work today and he hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, since that time had been allotted with worrying about Edward while he lay in a hospital bed. "Who are you talking about, Edward? And you're in my house. What you should be doing, is eating breakfast, not staring off into space. Maybe then you would be able to grow a few inches."

Roy saw Edward open his mouth to yell at him, probably not to call him small or something, but Fuery cut the boy off before he could even get a word out. "Sir, it's almost nine. We should be going."

Edward, who had looked pissed beyond words not a second ago, stood up, albeit a little wobbly, in what seemed like panic. "You're leaving?" Ed's expression morphed into one of fear, features twisting to try and retain what little dignity he had left. Edward began to walk towards him, like he was afraid of being away from the colonel. After the second trip, Roy had had enough. Gently, but firmly, Roy sat Ed back into the chair in front of his food.

"Yes," Roy said dryly. "After pulling an all-nighter, two days of missing work and being late this morning, I am leaving for the base. I have to write a report and catch up on paper work."

"Two days of missing work?"

"I-" Roy caught himself just in time, cursing himself. The boy had no clue what he was talking about. "Eat your food," he ordered instead. "Havoc will be by at 9:30 to keep you company until I come back. I'm sure you're old enough to look after yourself for a half hour. Or do you still need a babysitter?"

"I'm not a child, Mustang!"

Success. Roy smirked and left the kitchen behind, catching sight of Lieutenant Hawkeye filling out paperwork in the living room. Casually, he made his way toward her. She glanced up at him when he reached the edge of the sofa.

"Ready to go?" he asked, smirk still in place.

Riza nodded. "I'm ready, but are you sure it's alright to leave him here by himself?" she asked, gathering up the stacks of paperwork and putting everything in her bag.

A crash sounded from the kitchen, causing both officers to glance at the archway to the next room in worry. Mustang smirked when he heard Edward's irritated voice. "Dammit, Lieutenant! Not you too! I'm not five!"

A nervous shout of "Edward!" came from Fuery. Roy led Riza across the room and back into the kitchen. Riza covered her mouth with her hand when she saw the scene. Roy felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance as he laid eyes on the temper tantrum playing out in his dining room.

Edward, who had heard Riza's question, had knocked over his chair and bumped the table in his childish anger, sending everything crashing to the floor. Kane, who was usually nervous and timid, had his both of Edward's arms pinned back as Ed fought to get free.

Roy, who had had enough of Fullmetal for the time being, turned around and gave Fuery a small wave, wishing the young Master Sergeant good luck. "Join us when you finish up here. Let's go, Lieutenant."

"Sir."

And with no further words, the two left the house.

* * *

Edward stopped struggling as fear overtook him. A heavy weight settled in his chest and he was suddenly unable to breathe. Mustang had left him. He was alone. Now that the colonel had left, Edward could finally feel how hollow he truly felt. Mustang had left him alone and there was nothing that he could do about it. He tried to scold himself, but his brain wasn't getting that far. He couldn't process the fact that Mustang _had_ to leave if he still wanted a job in the future. Ed couldn't process that Mustang probably hadn't wanted to leave him, but was just doing what he knew he had to. He couldn't process the fact that Mustang hadn't really abandoned him. No, his brain was still stuck on that sinking current of thoughts that led him to the depths of despair. Edward was alone.

With the colonel there, there had been an air of familiarity around the strange house. Fuery, who Ed usually didn't mind, was insistent on babying him. There was no normality between them. Mustang, though, he knew exactly what Edward needed. The colonel had recognized the silent plead for the familiarity that he so needed. But now, he was alone in a strange house with someone who was treating him like he was a small child who had lost his mommy.

Fuery, who had mistakenly thought Edward had stopped struggling out of exhaustion, let go of him. Edward made no move, still frozen in place by his irrational fears.

"Come on, Edward. You should sit down," Fuery called to him, putting the chair back upright from where it had clattered to the tile floor in Ed's forced anger. Fuery then proceeded to push Ed down into the chair. Ed complied without much fight. The Master Sergeant kept talking, but Ed was too lost in his thoughts to pay much attention.

Who he really needed right now, was Al. He wanted his little brother next to him. He wanted Alphonse there. But he wasn't, and Ed was lonely. He was used to travelling and having only Al as a companion. But Al wasn't there, and Ed was left to cope alone.

Something had happened, and Edward had a suspicion that Mustang knew what had taken place. Mustang had the answers Ed needed. And why wouldn't he? He always did. Mustang was a man of many mysteries, but he was an amazing information gatherer. He was, after all, part of the military. So what part of this was Mustang involved in? Was he just a small part? Or was he at the root of this?

Ed shook his head and frowned as guilt ran through him. He needed Alphonse. As messed up as that sounded, Ed was having trouble finding his little brother without Al's help. As if he couldn't get any more pathetic. His thoughts were no longer making any sense to him. Why should he feel guilty about Mustang's involvement? Was it because Mustang wasn't originally involved? Or was it because he had done something wrong when Mustang had given him orders to do something? Had his disobedience gotten him in trouble again?

The sound of the door slamming startled Ed out of his thoughts. Edward looked around the small kitchen with wide eyes as fear once again took him over. He was absolutely and totally alone. His breathing, which was already labored from when he had been startled, picked up. Was oxygen always this hard to find? His breaths became shallow and his lungs began to hurt. He tried to blink away the black spots, but they seemed determined to cover his vision. His suddenly felt light-headed and dizzy. But why?

Why what? That was the question, wasn't it? Why did he feel like this? Why was he here? Why was he alone? Where was his little brother? Where was Al?

By now, Ed couldn't even take a full breath. His lungs started to hurt and everything was getting blurry...and sideways. The next thing he knew, he was looking at the dull ceiling of the colonel's kitchen. Something was missing. Something that should have been there. A voice. Ed grimaced when he heard the voice. It was definitely what he was missing, but it was the wrong voice. Where was Alphonse?

"Ed!" The voice was muffled, like something was covering his ears, trying to block out the sounds.

Something was wrong. Why wasn't Al here anymore? Weren't they just looking at miracle waterfalls? They had just finished that special mission from the Fuhrer and were just given orders from Mustang to investigate that town. An image popped into Edward's head...were those tombstones? What the hell was wrong with his head?

"Edward!" Ed's eyes searched for the _wrong_ voice. Wasn't his brother just right next to him? Finally, he caught the blurry face of Jean Havoc. He reached out towards the man and sounds became clear. Oh. He had had his hands covering his ears again. That explained a couple of things. Before he could try and think of anything to say to Havoc, everything began to dim, becoming darker and darker by the second. Before long, he could only see and hear nothing. The only sense he had was of being embraced. A warm, _human_ embrace. This was not his brother.

The last thing he felt was the strong need to tell Mustang about the tombstones, before he completely collapsed back into the waiting obscurity that was unconsciousness.

* * *

Roy tapped his fingers against the oak wood desk and blew out an exasperated sigh. The day he wanted to actually lose himself in his paperwork, there was absolutely nothing. Not even a single paper. He supposed that it was karma for always procrastinating when he didn't want to do paperwork, but now all he was left with was his thoughts. And he didn't really want to think about anything at the moment. Hence getting lost in his paperwork.

"Lieutenant," he called out. Hawkeye peered into the doorway. "Is there anything else that needs to be done?"

Riza's gaze softened and without Roy speaking a single word about it, she seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. "No, sir, I'm afraid there isn't."

Roy nodded and dismissed Riza from the room, going back to tapping his fingers against the desk. Damn. He was out of options. At that moment he threw all caution to the wind and walked over to the filing cabinet. There was something on his mind that he knew would haunt him until the day he died. It would haunt him, that is, unless he satisfied his curiosity now.

He shuffled through the worn files until he found the one he was looking for: _Mission Fallen Grappling 2A, 2B, _and _2C._

Roy glanced at the closed doors to his office and silently prayed that no one would walk in on him at that moment. He sat down at his desk and began to read the file.

2A was simple, really. All it contained was the details for an accident that had happened within East City. Thomas Riddler had been found dead in a wrecked car. 2B was where things had gotten complicated. According to the file, a state alchemist had been the one to find the dead man, so he was the one who had lead the investigation. The case had gone cold, but the alchemist had pushed forward with interviews and re-interviews. As Roy reviewed the case, two interrogations caught his eye. The first one had been with the dead man's wife.

The interview was simple. The woman had been asked where she had been on the day of Riddler's death, when had she first heard that her husband was dead, and if she knew how he was killed. The answers, on the other hand, were anything but normal.

_At home. Last Tuesday. He died in service to the State._

According to the file, the woman had been interviewed the day after Riddler had died-a Saturday. Roy shook his head and kept reading. The woman claimed that she was receiving benefits from the State for the death of her husband in service to the Military. After checking her claim, the alchemist had found it true. Thomas Riddler had died a week earlier from a gunshot wound after serving in the military.

So the body had been checked. It was indeed Thomas Riddler. Blood work as well as the man's wife identifying him was all the proof they needed. The alchemist chalked it up as the man faking his death and deserting the military.

The second interview was of the man who had served with Riddler, Christopher Grappling. According to Grappling, there was absolutely no way that the man who had died in his arms from a gunshot wound to the lung wasn't Thomas Riddler. The man was near tears as he had described his best friend's death. That left too many questions and not enough answers.

The state alchemist had one more person to interrogate: Harlan Riddler, Thomas Riddler's twin brother.

Harlan's interview was in the next file-2C. The state alchemist had gone to Harlan's house only to find out that Harlan had gone missing, at least according to his wife and two kids. Mystery solved. Harlan had posed as his brother in service while Thomas had deserted, only to be killed in a car accident.

Roy slammed the file closed and yelled out in frustration. This didn't make any sense. Why would this Mission be called Grappling and not Riddler? He was missing information. He was trying to finish a puzzle while some of the pieces were lost. Right now, he only had the edges of the puzzle put together. What he needed was the entire case, not just the part left open for the public. He needed the classified file, not this crap.

And there was something else. The names on the file had been tampered with. He knew there was no state alchemist with the name Joseph Charling. It didn't even designate the alchemist with an official title. The whole thing was a complete lie. And that's when the realization hit him. There was no way that he could have been lied to, could there have been?

Roy didn't have too much time to think on his findings. At that moment, the phone rang. He picked it up without any hesitation. "Colonel Roy Mustang," he said automatically.

"Boss," Havoc breathed from the other line.

"Havoc? What's going on? Why're you calling?"

"It's Edward." Those two words were enough to strike fear deep into Roy's heart. A nagging feeling in the back of his head started up again. He rubbed his temple, trying to staunch the oncoming headache.

"Code?" Roy growled.

"Smoking's horrible and I'm going to die young," the voice on the other line deadpanned.

"What's wrong with him?" Roy asked. He didn't even have the energy to smirk at Havoc's code like he usually did. He was still extremely upset with his earlier findings.

There was a pause before Havoc answered with an uncertain, "I'm not really sure."

That was more than enough to set Roy's temper off. It didn't help that he was still frustrated from finding out next to nothing about Mission Grappling. He'd definitely have to look harder for more answers about that particular case. He also needed to ask a certain someone why the hell he hadn't been informed about anything. Screw orders.

"Colonel?"

"What?" Mustang snapped irritably.

"I think the boss had a panic attack."

Roy's anger drained away in seconds. "What? Do you know what caused it?"

There was some shuffling on the other line as Mustang waited not so patiently. "Hmm, it doesn't look like any of the medications that he's on is the cause, but there might be more to it than just that. I don't really know what happened. When I walked in, he was curled up on the floor screaming his lungs out."

Roy sighed in relief and frustration. At least he didn't have to get the prescriptions changed, but now he had no clue as to what was happening to his youngest subordinate. "What happened after you got there?"

"He blacked out pretty quick. I made sure he was breathing alright, but I had to call a doctor to stitch up his leg again. He tore open the wound. Anyways, just thought I'd call you to see if I should do anything else."

Roy nodded unconsciously before realizing that Havoc would have no idea what he was doing since the man couldn't actually see him. "Good. I'll be there in an hour."

"What?" Havoc asked, obviously surprised that Roy himself was going to come. "Are you sure Hawkeye'll let you come?"

"I don't care about what she has to say right now. I need to ask Fullmetal something anyways. Might as well be there when he first wakes up. Just look after him until I get there, alright?"

"Yes sir," Havoc said, maybe a little uneasily, but at least he complied. Roy hung the phone up and quickly put his jacket on, striding out of the doors of his office, as well as the adjoining office. He did his best and managed to ignore the calls of his rank and name.

Roy needed to get back to his house and figure out why the hell he had been lied to.


End file.
